


The Other Side

by hatakelynx



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Ash Lynx Loves Okumura Eiji, Ash is stupid, Ballet Dancer Eiji, Breakdancer Ash, Cute Okumura Eiji, Fluff, Love at First Sight, M/M, Modern AU, Mostly Ash POV, Opposites Attract, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining Ash Lynx, Soulmates, Step Up inspired me, alternative universe, arthur is still here and he's still a jackass btw, i should just shut up with the additional tags now, in which they are soulmates (again)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-06
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:06:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23039062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hatakelynx/pseuds/hatakelynx
Summary: Ash Lynx, leader of the "Banana Fish" dance crew,  is one of New York's most famous breakdancers.Eiji Okumura is a Japanese ballet dancer, who just got in a prestigious American dance school.Their paths shouldn't have crossed, especially not in a dance battle.And yet...Here they are.
Relationships: Ash Lynx & Okumura Eiji, Ash Lynx & Shorter Wong, Ash Lynx/Okumura Eiji, Lee Yut-Lung/Sing Soo-Ling
Comments: 82
Kudos: 216





	1. Lose Yourself

**Author's Note:**

> In other words: this is an Asheiji Step Up AU. Sort of.  
> No guns involved; only pining, dancing, and good music.  
> The number of chapters might evolve depending on how this goes...  
> BIG THANKS to Claudia for proofreading me and for bearing with me, always <3

Ash’s stomach lurched, and he wondered whether or not he was going to throw up. Eating a hotdog for lunch hadn't been one of his greatest ideas, that was for sure. 

“Damn bro... you look so pale! Like paler than usual, y’know... And I didn’t even think this was possible, man!”

Ash glared at Shorter. The Wongs really never knew when to shut up.

“Come on Ash, pull yourself together. You’ve been dancing for, what? Fifteen, sixteen years? You should be just fine by now!”

“I’m fine!” Ash snapped, before mumbling “...it’s the waiting that I hate.” 

“Alex is almost done. Then I’m up, and it will be your turn. Get ready because in a few minutes you’ll have to set the dancefloor on fire, man.” Shorter winked and Ash finally cracked a light smile. They were sitting along the dancefloor with the rest of the Banana Fish dance crew - Sing, Bones and Kong. In the middle of the circle bounded by the crowd, Alex was already competing against a boy from the other crew. 

“Go for it, Alex!” Sing yelled like a madman as the crowd was loudly cheering. _There are a lot of people today_ , Ash thought. _Don’t they have better things to do on a Saturday afternoon?_

This weekend battle was located in one of those gigantic warehouses of East Williamsburg. The exposed white bricks made it look like an old and weird asylum, just like the ones in horror movies. Ash didn't like it - he felt more comfortable dancing in completely open spaces. At least the high ceiling, which was entirely made of windows, let the sunlight enter the huge space. 

Ash snapped back to reality when he heard a huge thud. Nothing to worry about though; just Alex landing back on his feet after executing one of his famous backflips. The guy facing him turned white and Ash couldn't help but giggle. The crew they were competing against that day was a bit... unusual. There were five boys, all of them wearing dance tights and white t-shirts. It really wasn't like the Banana Fish crew to look down upon their opponents; but Ash had to admit they laughed a bit when they first saw them. Not because of their looks - nothing wrong with them, really. Except, maybe, for the fact that their revealing leggings and lithe frames were clearly standing out compared to the muscle-bound grunge characteristic of most of the other street dancers. 

Shorter was up next. The boys fistbumped him and so did Alex, as he sat back with his teammates. 

“Good job, Alex!” Kong greeted him with a smile. “What a shitty beat that was, though… You did really well, considering the bad music you had to deal with!”

Alex bursted into laughter. “I swear man, you should talk to the organizers! I’m pretty sure they would hire you on the spot if they listened to your beats!”

Alex flashed Ash a gentle smile. He'd always been aware of the fact that Ash didn't want to be bothered before going on the dancefloor, and Ash was thankful for that. They both turned their attention back to the dancefloor, where Shorter was standing and stretching out. 

The guy facing Shorter had long, pitch black hair, pulled back in a low ponytail. The speaker had introduced him as “Snake.” What a lame nickname, really… 

As the first notes of what sounded to be a remix of _Lose Yourself_ by Eminem started playing, Ash’s heart pounded just at the thought that he would be up next. He was excited, and apparently Shorter was too, because he chose to open the hostilities with an air flair, just like that… What a show-off. 

His opponent didn't look impressed, though. Not at all. As Shorter started to slow down, the black-haired boy rose to the challenge. And like his teammate facing Alex before, he clearly was a ballet dancer.

“He’s impressive,” Sing whispered, unable to tear his eyes away from the provocative yet fluid movements of the boy. 

“He is,” Alex nodded. “His movements are fast, sharp and precise. But I really don’t get what those guys are trying to achieve here. I mean, there are specific battles where you can mix up styles, but today was supposed to be for break dancers only, right?” 

Ash shrugged. He didn't know and he definitely didn't care. He was only here for the excitement, the intoxicating feeling of flying and defying gravity for a few minutes, while the crowd would cheer. It was exhilarating. For a short moment, time and space weren't a thing anymore. There was only Ash and the music. Losing himself like this, mind blank and muscles electrified, was the only way for him to finally feel at peace. For once. 

He knew the crew was counting on him and his routine scoring highly, because even though these battles were individually marked, at the end of the competition it was the entire crew that would be declared winner or loser. And if they happened to lose, Ash would never hear the end of it. 

He wasn't really worried though, considering that the Banana Fish crew had never lost once so far - but well, something about that day seemed off. 

“Next up… The wild cat ASH LYNX vs… ehm… MYSTERY BOY!”

Ash frowned. He found the nickname of the previous guy lame, but this one? Even lamer. He stood up, his brain already focused on the minutes to come. He took his red jacket off, leaving him only with his usual red Converse, ripped jeans and white t-shirt. He quickly fistbumped Alex, Sing, Bones and Kong. He could see that Alex’s lips were moving, but didn't hear what his friend was saying. His mind was already on the dancefloor. As he was walking towards the middle of the circle, Shorter ran into him and slapped him on the back.

“Show them”, his best friend told him in a low voice. Ash grinned. Of course he was going to show them. 

Ash’s opponent was slowly walking towards the dancefloor too, which left Ash plenty of time to gauge him. He was taller than the two previous contestants - still smaller than Ash, though. He seemed to have muscular legs, his dance tights clearly underlining the shape of his thighs and calves ( _as well as the shape of some other things, too,_ Ash thought deep down.) His hair was dark, just like the Snake guy. Ash knew better than to underestimate his opponents, yet he couldn't help but think “ _so far so good_.”

And then he met the Mystery Boy’s eyes. 

He thought that his hair was dark - well, his eyes were even darker. From where he stood, Ash couldn't even tell his pupil from his iris. But their darkness wasn't the thing that threw him off, no. Their brightness was to blame. The eyes that stared at him at that moment were shining, like a starry night sky. The boy gifted Ash with a slight smirk, and Ash had to blink several times to get back on Earth, refusing to acknowledge the way his heart had just jumped in his chest. He'd never been so distracted right before he took the floor. He hated it. Worst of all, Ash realized that the music had actually already started. 

_You’ve got to be kidding me._

He knew this song. He knew it too well. It had been played on the radio over and over and over almost, what? Ten years ago?! How the fuck was he supposed to dance on that? Were the beatmakers fucking serious about this? 

The worst thing was that his opponent didn't seem the least disturbed by the music. Yet, if Ash was worried about dancing to it, how the hell did this guy plan on doing goddamn _ballet_ to this tune?! The bass was getting louder and the first verse had already started - the crowd was staring at them with silent, curious expressions, because neither Ash nor Mystery Boy had made any move so far. For the first time in his life, Ash didn't feel it. He didn't feel the beat. He didn't feel the excitement of the crowd, coursing through his veins faster than his blood. All he could hear was Sing’s furious scream behind him.

_**“What the fuck Ash?!”** _

_Yeah, what the fuck, Aslan?!_

Those 40 seconds had seemed to be the longest of his entire life before he noticed that the dark-haired boy facing him had actually closed his eyes. Ash frowned. His face looked completely relaxed. Suddenly, Ash was forced to take a step back as his opponent finally set off on the dancefloor when Gaga’s chorus began. 

_Stop calling_ \- pirouette.

 _Stop calling_ \- another pirouette. 

_I don’t wanna talk anymore_ \- jump. 

The guy was dancing to _Telephone_ by Lady Gaga as if it was the fucking Swan Lake. 

And he was good. 

Damn, he was really, _really_ good. 

Ash hadn't been expecting that, and couldn’t even begin to imagine how ballet moves could fit such a song - yet here they were. Looking closely, it seemed like the guy mixed contemporary moves, too. His style was not as formal as the Snake’s. His moves were graceful and smooth, he did a _Grand Jete_ before ending up doing contemporary floor work - center split roll, back arch...

Ash was in awe, and this had the merit of lifting his spirit. He would finally be facing a worthy opponent, and he was totally here for it. He knew what was coming next, just at the end of the chorus. If he wasn't mistaken, it was Beyonce’s part. Ash was thankful that the other guy was beginning to slow down - he had already been dancing for more than 45 seconds straight after all. Wasn't that even against the rules? 

Ash didn't really know what came over him before, but now, not only did he want to dance, but he was also overcome with the urge to impress this Mystery Boy. 

Beyonce started singing, and Ash finally started moving. His body was literally on fire. Arm waves to warm up a bit and get into the song, then up rocking, floor rocking - the basics for a good start. As he was executing his own windmill, he heard the guys cheering in the back. It gave him enough fuel to end his part on a backhand spring, which earned him applause from the crowd. He was out of breath but rather proud of himself on this one. Panting, he looked at the other guy who came forward again to execute new moves on the chorus. They both seemed tired from their first intense parts. But his opponent looked particularly... _amused?_

_I left my head and my heart on the dance floor_

_Eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh_

_Stop telephonin' me_

On these notes, Ash came forward again, even though the other guy hadn't stopped dancing yet. He was aware that there were only 30 seconds left, maybe less. He couldn't let his crew down. He couldn't let this mysterious boy in tights win. 

Both of them were dancing now and Ash didn't even bother to grasp what was happening anymore - breakdance and hip hop moves were meeting ballet and contemporary ones, they challenged each other, collided, _answered one another_. 

When finally the last sounds of the harp faded away, Ash got up on his feet after a final jump while Mystery Boy ended his last slow pirouette, both of them close to bumping into the other. Ash was panting, and so was the other guy. He felt like his heart was about to explode. 

Or maybe it already had.

The crowd was silent as they looked into each other’s eyes. His opponent’s cheeks were red, a bit glossy from the sweat, his hair now curled quaintly on his forehead. Finally the crowd began to cheer and applaud really, _really_ loudly. Although Ash was convinced he was already out of breath, it turned out that he still had oxygen in his lungs somehow, because he gasped when the other dancer suddenly smiled at him - a warm, genuine smile that made his black eyes even deeper and shinier than before. 

Ash opened his mouth to say something, but suddenly he was pulled back and Shorter’s arm crashed on his shoulders.

“Dude, what the fuck happened on here, we thought you had lost it for a second and then?! Wow!” 

As his best friend dragged him back to the side of the dancefloor, Ash looked back one last time to check on Mystery Boy, but his opponent had already left. 

“What was thaaat, man, you were on fire!” Shorter kept talking and Ash was hearing him, but he wasn't listening. 

His mind was still on the dancefloor.

It was still dancing against the dark-eyed boy. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it for this first chapter!  
> I'm not a native English speaker so apologize for the possible mistakes here & there!  
> Thanks for reading my bullshit <3  
> Please share your thoughts!!


	2. Born To Be Yours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ash really hated when things didn’t go his way.  
> That’s why he didn’t understand, as he sat back with the rest of the crew and watched his other teammates going on stage, the reason why his heart was still racing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may (or may not) have noticed that I’m trying to name my chapters after songs that match the overall mood of each chap. For the first one it was, of course, Lose Yourself by Eminem - both because the song is just fire AND for the meaning of the expression “to lose yourself” in itself. For this second chapter, I went with the Imagine Dragons ft Kygo [“Born to Be Yours” song](https://youtube.com/watch?v=mOFvJVroAJE)  
> Because Ash never knew anybody ‘til he knew Eiji. And the frantic rhythm also embodies the mess in our favorite blond boy’s head.

Ash really hated when things didn’t go his way. And something about today felt _just like that_ . Like he was missing something. He kept replaying his dance battle over and over again in his head - but he couldn’t quite grasp what had happened. Except that Ash was not the type of guy who didn’t _get_ things. Not only did he understand them, he also analyzed every movement, expression, and each individual word that could possibly come up, no matter the situation. In other words: Ash Lynx was a control freak. 

That’s why he really didn’t understand, as he sat back with the rest of the crew and watched his other teammates going on stage, the reason why his heart was still racing. Was it because of this weird, unknown feeling? Or just because of the physical effort of performing? 

Or maybe… _maybe_ , it was because of the Mystery Boy’s red cheeks and heavy breathing.

As soon as this idea crossed his mind, Ash vigorously shook his head in a desperate attempt to clear his thoughts. 

“Damn, Ash!” an enthusiastic slap on the back startled the blond, his eyes widening. “That was quite the performance you gave up there! I guess that’s what happens when someone finally stands up to the _great_ ASH LYNX!” Sing beamed with pride for his teammate, but Ash didn’t bother to answer. He should have been aware by now that Ash didn’t feel “great” at all, and appreciated even less being congratulated for it. The fanboy attitude of the 17-year-old teen was cute 98% of the time. The 2% left, to be honest, was a bit annoying. 

“That Mystery Boy was something, let me tell you this!” Sing gushed. “When he first walked on the dancefloor I have to admit I was a bit skeptical. But then?! Man, he was _really_ good! And he kinda looked cute, too!”

Ash rolled his eyes. He didn’t like being called _great_ , but he really didn’t enjoy hearing Sing praise this other guy so much. It made his blood boil, for some reason. 

“Whatever.” Ash answered. “He looked okay, I guess. With those weird dance tights, he still seemed to have a stick shoved up his ass, though.”

“And who knew you could be jealous of a stick Ash, huh?” Shorter interrupted with a mischievous glint in his eyes. 

Ash’s jaw dropped. _What the hell? What kind of nonsense was this again?_

“Would you please shut the fuck up?” Ash could feel a shitload of insults burning like venom on the tip of his tongue, but he chose instead to swallow his words and change the subject. “Sing is up next.”

Shorter seemed to have a hard time suppressing his grin, but thank God he finally shut his mouth to watch his cousin’s performance. 

Ash’s attention, however, was absent for the rest of the competition. He couldn’t help but look for this Mystery Boy on the other side of the dancefloor. He wasn’t seeing him anywhere. Right after Sing, Bones and his robot style were finally up. The music kept changing, the public was cheering on the contestants, but Ash only heard all of this from afar. 

He still couldn’t believe that his opponent pulled up a fucking moonwalk just before his last pirouette. The _audacity_. Ash was personally offended. This was one of the rare moves he still couldn’t master yet. And this small, uptight boy wearing damn **_leggings_** decided to show up as if he could stand up to him, with his bloody ballet and contemporary moves.

Then it hit Ash. 

The other guy _did_ stand up to him. 

So that’s why Ash was feeling so upset. For the first time in months, he had had a worthy opponent, and the opponent was no one else than an uptight ballet dancer who did “grand jeté” and other “pirouettes.” A rather small guy, with quite impressive muscles, raven hair and dark, shiny eyes in which you couldn’t help but lose yourself. Clearly, that wasn’t something Ash had expected. This explained it all. 

Yes, this had to be it.

*****  
  
**

Late that afternoon, the Banana Fish crew were declared the winners. It didn’t matter though; it never did. Not to mention that all the boys from this other unusual crew had vanished into thin air. They probably had left right after the battle of their last teammate against Bones. They sure knew how to make an exit. 

The guys had wanted to go out to celebrate after that, but Ash was not in the mood. On top of that, Max and Jessica were expecting him early for lunch on the following day. “Sunday family traditions are important”, Max would always say. That annoying old man…

Ash headed home, more than happy to get back to the ordinary apartment he shared with Shorter. His social bar was full for today. He took advantage of his roommate's absence to set himself up in the kitchen with his philosophy books - Ash had to submit an essay by next Wednesday and he had not even glanced at the subject yet. 

**_“Love is nothing more than a set of chemical reactions.”  
_** **_Write 6 000 words on that topic._ **

The blond boy grumbled. What was it with teachers and cheesy essay topics? _Ugh_. 

When the clock hit 10pm, Ash had to admit he was stumped. He decided to make himself a sandwich before showering quickly and going to bed. This day had been draining. 

He expected to fall asleep in an instant. Unfortunately, despite his exhaustion, he struggled to find sleep. One of the reasons why was nothing else but that damn Gaga’s song playing over and over in his head. 

_Eh eh eh eh eh eh eh eh eh  
_ _Stop telephonin’ me eh eh eh eh eh eh eh eh_

“For God’s sake!” Ash whined out loud. At the same time, he heard the front door slam. He checked his phone: almost 2am. Then, he heard a knock on his door.

“Ash, is everything okay?”

Ash only groaned, which Shorter took as an invitation to come in. 

“What’s going on, man? Don’t you have to be at Max’s by 11am tomorrow, why aren’t you asleep yet?”

“IT’S THAT DAMN SONG SHORTER, THAT DAMN SONG!” Ash cried out. 

Shorter raised his eyebrows. “What the hell are you talking about, Ash?” 

“I’m talking about LADY GAGA Shorter! Please sing me something, _anything_ , I tried to listen to some music but it has absolutely NO EFFECT, it keeps playing in my head on repeat!” 

Silence. Then, Shorter softly whistled. “I see. Maybe you should’ve come with us after all, because right now, it looks like you’ve been dwelling on today’s battle all evening...”

“I haven’t.” Ash retorted. “I worked on my essay. Actually, you know what, never mind. Why are you coming back so early anyway?”

Shorter shrugged. “I’m working tomorrow. Nadia wants me to help at Chang Dai all Sunday. If I show up hungover and with only three hours of sleep, she’ll notice right away, and you know damn well it’s better not to piss my sis’ off.” 

Ash only hummed in response. His best friend wished him good night, and the blond boy buried his head in his pillow. Soon after - thank the gods - he passed out. 

*****  
  
**

“How was your battle yesterday?” Max asked as Ash handed him the plate of baked potatoes. “I can’t remember the last time you looked tired like that!”

Ash winced before answering. 

“It was fine, I guess”. 

“Did you win, Ash?!” Michael asked, absolutely thrilled by Ash’s presence. 

Ash softened at his Number #1 Fan’s enthusiasm. “We did, big boy!” 

Jessica was chewing in silence, but Ash could feel her heavy gaze on him. She clearly had been monitoring him since he arrived on his motorcycle, at 11:17am ( _“instead of 11 sharp, Ash!”_ ). Ash knew he was not going to get out of here that easily.

And indeed, as he was washing the dishes and observing Max and Michael playing in the garden, he noticed that Jessica was lingering in the kitchen. He sighed. 

“What is it, _oba-san_?”

“Take that back, you brat” Jessica growled. 

“Tell me what’s the matter, and I’ll consider it.” Ash smirked, folding his arms across his chest.

“The matter?”

“You’ve been scrutinizing me since I got here.”

Jessica’s eyes narrowed. “You seem… weird today.” She never was one to beat around the bush, and Ash had always liked that about her. 

“Well, me being weird is nothing new, don’t you think _oba-san_?”

“Not _awkward_ weird. More like… You’re not your usual self. You definitely have something on your mind. But not something that makes you sick. Like… I don’t know, your head is in the clouds! And you usually tend to be sharper and more focused than that.” 

Ash chose not to answer. It was the safest solution. He was about to dry the dishes, but Jessica took the plate from his hands. 

“Hey!”

“Did something happen?”

“Nothing happened.”

“Bullshit. What happened, Ash?”

“Nothing that would interest you.”

At that, Jessica froze and pursed her lips. She didn’t like Ash dancing. First, because dancing was bringing back a whole lot of rather unpleasant memories - according to her, at least. Second, because she wanted Ash to focus on studying rather than dancing, even though he was definitely a brilliant student. To put it in another way: Jessica was being a protective mama bear. Okay, maybe more like a savage and intimidating mama bear. 

“Well, I’m always interested in whatever is on the mind of my adopted son.” Ash’s heart missed a beat. _That sneaky woman._ He took a look at her and his heart missed another beat when he saw her warm, a bit shy, but genuine smile. Jessica had won.

And just like that, Ash told her everything about that Saturday’s battle.

*****  
**

**  
** When Shorter came back from Chang Dai late that evening, Ash was lying on the couch and staring at the ceiling. 

“Hey, man” Shorter greeted him. 

Ash only raised his hand to signify to Shorter he had heard him and acknowledged his presence. 

“Are you okay? You’ve been acting strange since yesterday, it’s unlike you,” his roommate asked. 

“It was just… a long weekend. And a long day,” Ash let out a heavy sigh while sitting down. “Jessica was on my back all day, first because I arrived late, and then she kept saying that I was _weird_ , and that _something_ had happened. She literally interrogated me until I told her all about yesterday’s battle, can you believe that?”

“Yeah, I can. However, I’m more surprised that you chit-chatted with her so easily, especially about dancing.”

“She insisted.”

“Oh, did she now,” Shorter raised an eyebrow. 

“What?”

“What what?”

“Why are you saying this like _that_ , Shorter?”

“I don’t know man, maybe you were just waiting for her to ask about it. It does look like something is off with you since yesterday, ya know.”

Ash thought for a few seconds. 

“I don’t know Shorter. There was something… something about him. That threw me off. The moonwalk thing, surely.”

“The moonwalk thing, really?” Shorter answered sarcastically. 

“Yes, what else could it be?!” Ash snapped. 

Shorter sighed, running a hand through his mohawk. “Well, I can’t say for sure. Maybe you were just not expecting a guy like him to stand up to a guy like you, and to be actually good at it. Like, this boy probably didn’t even know about your reputation. No meltdown in front of you, no panic showing, and at the end, he just finishes you with this perfect moonwalk - out of all the moves he could have chosen. Maybe it’s just fate kicking you in the ass,” he grinned, “Or karma!” 

Ash remained silent, processing what Shorter had just said. Was he really that smug, to be all worked up over the first guy in months who lived up to him? 

“I’m just saying,” Shorter resumed, “that it seems like you haven’t been able to get this off your mind for the entire weekend, Ash.” 

Shorter was right. And this attitude was so unlike Ash. 

“Fuck,” Ash just said, before falling silent again.

“Wow, this is gay panic at its finest,” Shorter stated. 

“Please Shorter, I’m not in the mood for your weird jokes, leave me alone,” Ash replied, well aware of the hint of desperation in his voice. 

“Oh, that’s a shame.” Shorter sighed, the ghost of a grin pulling at the corners of his lips. “I guess you don’t want to know what I know then? About Mystery Boy?”

Ash immediately lifted his head up and narrowed his eyes. 

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that I know… things.” 

“What things, Shorter?” 

“Well, things. About him.”

_That bastard._

“Shorter, I swear TO GOD…” 

“Like where he goes to school, for instance.” 

Ash stared at his roommate. He was suspicious. How did his best friend get this information, anyway? 

“His legging.” Shorter stated simply. 

“... what?”

“His legging. You were dancing so I don’t think you were able to see it. But there was something written on the side of his right thigh.”

Now Ash was feeling stupid to have missed something so obvious. He grumbled when he realized that his best friend wasn’t going on with his explanation, most certainly on purpose. He really relished seeing Ash struggling, damn. 

“And what was written on the side of his right thigh?” 

“What will you give me if I tell you?

“Are you fucking serious right now?”

“I am. What will you give me, Ash?” 

Ash had to fight the sudden urge to kill his best friend. 

“... FINE!!! I’ll pay for your stupid Pornhub Premium account! Now just tell me what was written on his DAMN legging man!”

Shorter roared with laughter.

“Damn, I never would’ve thought I’d hear you say something like that one day, but here we are! And I definitely wasn’t expecting you to give up so quickly!” 

When he saw Ash glaring at him, Shorter didn’t even bother to hide his smile. 

“SAB. There was the SAB logo on his legging.”

“SAB? As in the School of American Ballet?”

“I guess so,” Shorter shrugged. 

When Shorter went to the bathroom for his probably one-hour-long-shower, Ash took his laptop and started googling the SAB. He scrolled for almost an hour, but couldn’t find any information about this Mystery Boy. At least, he was able to come across a location and a date. The SAB was going to give a representation on Tuesday night, in one of Carnegie Hall’s auditorium, no less.

Well, philosophy essay done or not, Ash would be there for it. 

*****  
**

**  
** Ash sunk in his seat, cursing himself for not putting on some fancier clothes. He really stood out in the middle of these other white, rich and well-dressed people. At least he had the wits to go to the representation at the last minute, so that no one could really notice him. 

The overall performance was pretty boring. Ash caught himself yawning more than once. After almost an hour and a half, he wondered why the hell he had come all the way to see this. 

And then, the host introduced the “Advanced” classes. 

_There he was._ Black tights, eyes mysterious yet alluring in a way that captivated Ash more than he cared to admit, and raven hair combed back. _Oh boy._

Mystery Boy bowed with the others before placing himself on the cross, at the center of the stage. Ash suddenly couldn’t help but straighten up and lean forward, wide awake this time. The music started, and the dark-haired boy set off in the middle of the other dancers.

No contemporary moves this time. No Lady Gaga. 

Only ballet moves and a heart-wrecking piano song playing. 

Ash realized he had stopped breathing when his lungs cried out for air a dozen of seconds after Mystery Boy started dancing. 

At this point, Ash didn’t know what to think. At least he had not hallucinated during their dance battle - this guy was really good. He stood out among his fellow dancers. He was conveying emotions in a way that caught the audience completely off guard. Ash was fascinated by his moves, both graceful and powerful, a perfect balance constantly maintained. He had never been much into other dance styles than breakdance and hip hop, but tonight his heart was strangely aching while watching this performance. He couldn’t take his eyes off the dark-haired boy's muscular but agile legs, his long and light arms, his strong shoulders shaped by a skin-tight shirt. After ten minutes, the performance ended, and Ash couldn’t tell if it had lasted ten seconds or ten years. Sitting back, he felt a bit dizzy. 

As the representation came to an end, Ash waited for the room to be completely empty before reaching for the exit. It took quite a while - he realized the auditorium was actually crowded. Music, certainly from a radio, was being broadcast in the room. Ash was amused at the sudden change of mood, going from the solemn and classic atmosphere of the representation to this cheery and rhythmic tune.

 _Are you the only one lost in the millions?  
_ _Are you my grain of sand that’s blowing in the wind?  
_ _I never knew anybody ‘til I knew you_

Ash’s steps were muffled by the red carpet of the floor. As his right hand landed on the door handle, ready to open it to get back to the hall, he suddenly heard a man clear his throat behind him.

“Are you stalking me, Ash Lynx?”

 _And I know it when it rains, when it pours,  
_ _I know I was born to be yours._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy I'm sorry, this was a bit longer than I had planned...  
> Hope you still liked it tho!  
> Huge thanks to the best proofreader out there, I name: Claudia! <3 
> 
> Don't hesitate to share your thoughts <3


	3. Cross Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ash first looks like a fool, then gets super excited and finally ends up being really, really angry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SO sorry for the delay, I meant to publish this days ago but my daily life has been completely shaken up lately (for an obvious reason we’re all aware of, I’m afraid). I hope you are all doing well, and I also hope you’ll still like the chapter, even if it arrived a bit late! Today’s [song is Cross Me](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKo4x2gjJPw), because things are going to go a bit… ape shit? Enjoy the ride!  
> 

  
  
“Are you stalking me, Ash Lynx?”

Chills shot down Ash’s spine when he heard the faint and sweet accent ringing in this simple question. He slowly turned around, and even though he already knew deep down that he was about to face Mystery Boy, he still swayed a bit upon looking at him. 

The dancer’s lips were pulled into a smirk and he looked as fresh as a daisy, his black hair still a bit wet - probably from a quick post-performance shower. 

_And here I am now, thinking about him in the shower. Oh god._

“How…how do you know my name?” Ash stuttered, completely flabbergasted. The sensation of being utterly lost for words was foreign to him. So much for being hailed as a brainiac. 

“Well,” the dark-eyed boy giggled. “The MC introduced you quite loudly the other day, you know. I mean, _The Wild Cat Ash Lynx_ … it’s kind of hard to forget!”

 _Yes. Of fucking course._ Ash felt incredibly stupid. It wasn’t like the other boy had heard about his reputation or anything. There was no reason for him to have had, after all.

_Is that disappointment you’re feeling, you moron?_

Ash gently shook his head to clear his thoughts and at the same time, the other guy leaned forward.

“Are you okay?” his voice sounded genuinely concerned. 

Was it even possible for Ash to stop looking like a fool just for _one_ short second? That was the million-dollar question.

“Ahh yes I’m alright, sorry… I was just… thinking.”

_No shit Sherlock. Can I get any lamer than that?! God, if Shorter were here to see this I would NEVER hear the end of it._

Suddenly, Mystery Boy was standing right next to him, an inquisitive stare in his eyes, looking at Ash from under his long, black eyelashes. Ash blinked rapidly, hoping to hide his surprise.

“So, were you?”

“Was I what?” Ash asked immediately, distracted by the way he could feel the guy’s hot breath under his chin. 

“Stalking me?”

Ash felt blood rushing to his cheeks. He knew his pale complexion was already giving away his embarrassment, because as much as he hated to admit it, he _kind of_ was stalking this mysterious boy. _Fuck._

Before Ash could even attempt to explain away his actions, Mystery Boy took a step back, laughing.

“It’s okay,” he smiled. “No one had ever spied on me before, I have to admit I’m quite flattered!”

Although the other boy's tone was confident, the way he slightly rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet undermined his facade. Ash felt a bit better about himself at this realisation - he knew that he was an obvious mess, but maybe Mystery Boy was also a lot more nervous than he appeared to be.

“Look,” Ash started, intent on choosing his words carefully so he didn’t dig himself an even deeper grave than he already had. “I wasn’t spying on you, I…” 

“You…?” the other guy prompted him, raising an eyebrow. Ash realized he couldn’t come up with any valid excuses to justify his presence here, in Carnegie Hall, on a Tuesday night, at 10pm. 

This conversation was a total disaster.

“It’s okay, Ash Lynx, I forgive you !” Mystery Boy grinned, his cheeks just the slightest shade of pink. Ash let out a relieved sigh without even meaning to, but froze when the other dancer added: “on _one_ condition.” 

If Ash loved one thing, it was conditions. Conditions often meant challenge. He smirked. 

“I’m listening.”

“Dance against me.” Here they were again, those shiny, dark eyes, animated with what seemed to be genuine light and purity. Ash’s heart jumped in his chest. “Saturday afternoon, 5pm. Irving Square Park.” 

He didn’t have to ask him twice.

“Okay. I’m in.” The blond boy hoped his voice didn’t reflect the turmoil of thoughts going on in his mind at that moment. “Let’s just hope we’ll get some better music than Lady Gaga”, he added.

At that, Mystery Boy pouted. “Well I, for one, love Lady Gaga very much!” He put his index on his lower lip and looked up towards the ceiling, as if he was thinking deeply. “It took me three days to get _Telephone_ out of my head, though…” 

Ash realized he wasn’t really listening - in fact, his brain had completely stopped working. His eyes had followed this cute thinking process, and he couldn’t help but study the shape of the luscious, pink lip the guy’s finger was pressing on. He jumped when the dark-haired boy suddenly clapped his hands together, smile so wide that his eyes were now moon-shaped.

“Anyway! I have to get going, but I’ll see you on Saturday, right?” he asked.

Ash nodded and his eyes widened as the other dancer made the cutest little bow in front of him. Noticing Ash’s look, Mystery Boy let out an embarrassed laugh and scratched his neck. 

“Oh, sorry, old habits die hard! Japan, you know! Americans are more into handshakes, right?” 

He extended his hand. Without thinking, Ash extended his too.

The other guy’s palm was soft, but his grip was firm. “See you on Saturday, then!”

As he was walking away, Ash had a sudden realization.

“Hey! Wait!” Mystery Boy stopped and turned to him. “I’m going to sound like a real prick but I didn’t actually catch your name?”

“That’s because I haven’t told you,” the dark-eyed dancer replied with a wink. Ash’s heart skipped a beat, and even though his mouth opened, not a single sound came out of it. He swallowed with difficulty. 

“What?” the Japanese boy asked teasingly. “You don’t like Mystery Boy enough?”

Ash _finally_ came back to his senses. _It was goddamn time._

“I don’t. It sounds quite lame, to be honest,” he admitted. 

The boy laughed - _a sweet, sunny laugh,_ Ash thought - and turned his heels. Walking down the room towards the stage, he waved, back still turned to Ash. 

“See you on Saturday, Ash Lynx! If I like your performance, maybe I’ll tell you my name.” 

And just like that, he disappeared behind the backstage door. 

_Oh boy._

The weekend had never seemed so far away.   
  


*** * *  
  
**

Rather than taking the metro, Ash walked almost all the way back home. The night was fresh, but he didn’t mind, on the contrary - it would help sharpen his senses and clear his head. More than once, he caught himself staring at his right hand.

It was now an undeniable fact. This guy was talented. And charming.

Absolutely charming.

Ash couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but there was something about that Japanese boy. He exuded… warmth, stability, lightness...

Hell, this guy embodied all the things Ash tended to lack. Despite his intelligence, the blond boy really could be a a dense, pessimistic mess. Or a nerd, depending on the day.

When he got back to the apartment, Shorter was watching an anime in the living room.

“Hey there,” his best friend greeted him. “How did your little social experiment go?” 

“Laugh all you want! He challenged me. On Saturday afternoon. He wants to dance against me again, Shorter.”

Shorter let out a long, desperate sigh. “You got busted, right?”

“Did you hear what I just said?”

“Yes, I did… And that’s why I’m asking if you got busted. Damn you and your obvious white ass…”

Ash groaned. 

“Let’s text the crew. We should practice a bit tomorrow night. I can ask them if they wanna come on Saturday, too.”

“Yeah, yeah, do that,” Shorter waved Ash away, already focused on his anime again. “Oh and, you left some papers in the kitchen, I didn’t touch them just in case.”

Ash went to the counter to check on the papers Shorter was talking about.

_Holy shit._

His philosophy essay. He checked the time - 11pm. And he was not even halfway through it.

_An all-nighter it is, then.  
  
_

*** * *  
  
**

On Saturday afternoon, Ash was on fire. 

He was literally on the lookout for Mystery Boy and didn’t even try to hide it. He had been looking forward to this encounter ever since the Japanese dancer had challenged him. This Saturday morning, he was up at 9am. When he called Max to give him some news, the old man freaking panicked, convinced that Ash was laying in a hospital bed somewhere. Ash being willingly awake before noon on a weekend?! That couldn’t be good. 

Ash had practiced on Wednesday, and again on Thursday and Friday.The crew was getting sick of it. They would usually practice once, maybe twice a week, tops. 

“Come on guys, this is just Ash fully living his gay romcom, let him be,” Shorter had reminded them all week long. Despite their comments, Ash didn’t mind. He had not been this excited before a battle in _months_. 

Unfortunately, Mystery Boy never showed up. 

Battles started as dancers were challenging each other in the middle of the sunbathed park. No dark-haired boy with shiny eyes, though. There _were_ boys in tights all right - today was a mixed styles battle, after all. But no one drew Ash’s attention the way this strange boy had. He really was nowhere in sight.

When all the dancers started to disperse around 7pm, Ash had not danced and felt frustrated as hell. He couldn’t help but wonder what happened to Mystery Boy.

“Is it just me or are you looking worried right now?” Shorter asked, giggling.

“No, I am not.” Ash barked.

_No, really, I’m absolutely not worrying. Only wondering. No worries. All good._

“Maybe he just decided to throw in the towel?” Bones ventured, to which Ash shook his head.

“No, no way. He was pretty determined. I mean, _he’s_ the one who challenged _me_ , after all.” Ash could remember the passionate look in the Japanese boy’s eyes. There was no way he would have missed this. 

“Um, Ash?” a timid voice behind him asked.

“What is it, Sing?”

“Well I think I’ve got... some... information about that boy,” the teen cleared his throat while looking away, obviously embarrassed. 

Ash squinted.

“How?”

“Hum I may have… asked the other guy’s mghghghgh….....” He ended his sentence in such a mumble that Ash couldn’t even understand the half of it.

“What?!”

“Ahhhhhhhhh how can I put it...”

“For fuck’s sake, Sing! Spit it out already!” Ash was starting to lose his patience - _what the hell was the boy trying to hide? Had something bad happened?_

“WHEN YOU WERE DANCING AGAINST MYSTERY BOY LAST WEEK I WENT TO SEE THE OTHER SNAKE GUY WHO DANCED AGAINST SHORTER AND ASKED FOR HIS NUMBER” Sing let out in a breath. Ash’s jaw dropped while the sound of Shorter’s facepalm literally smacked in the air. 

“Do you actually ever manage to keep it in your pants, Sing?” Shorter whined. 

Sing stuck out his tongue to his cousin. “Well, if you don’t wanna hear what I know, fine by me!” he said, all mopey. Ash sighed. 

“I don’t care what you do, who you date or who you fuck… Just tell me what this guy told you.”

“This _guy,_ ” Sing snapped, “has a name, and it’s _Yue_.” Ash raised an eyebrow at this childish behavior, but to his horror, Sing was being 100% serious. Was it cute or insufferable? Ash really couldn’t say. 

“Well Sing, do you mind telling me what _YUE_ told you?” The teen looked satisfied enough and started unlocking his phone while giving some explanations. 

“Yue is in your guy’s class at the SAB. They’re pretty good friends.” 

“He’s not my guy,” Ash grumbled as Sing handed him the phone to show him the texts.

“Yeah whatever. His name is Eiji, by the way.”

 _Eiji,_ Ash thought. _Eiji_. 

Cute. So, so cute. 

He started to read out loud. 

**Sing, 06:12  
** _Hey Yue_ (ノ^∇^) _  
_ _We’re at the park right now and your friend isn’t here yet. Is everything okay?  
  
_**Yut-Lung, 06:22  
**_Hello.  
_ _Eiji had a nasty fall yesterday, because of this Arthur jackass._ (¬_¬)  
_Pretty sure he let Eiji fall on purpose. Anyway, Eiji hurt his shoulder, so he’ll be off the dancefloor for a few days._

“Who the fuck is Arthur?” Bones asked, frowning. 

“Yue already told me a bit about him before, it’s a fuckboy in their class. Seems like he’s a tall and blond asshole. That kinda reminds me of you, Ash!” Sing added with a defiant smile. 

That’s how Ash got it. Behind him, he could hear Shorter’s _“fuck”_ very distinctly. Ash slowly nodded, without even looking at his best friend.

“Do you think that it might be the same Arthur as the one from Blanca’s club?” Alex put a hand on Ash’s shoulder. 

“Blanca’s club? Who the hell is Blanca?” Sing squinted, completely lost. 

“He’s the owner of a… club I used to dance at.” Ash replied, not willing to get into more details yet. “This Arthur guy tried to hit on me there, once. I blew him off.”

“So?” Sing went on. “What happened?”

“What happened is that Ash ended up breaking the guy’s nose in the back alley of the club, because this onion head was harassing a poor girl. Guess he wasn’t too happy about being rejected,” Shorter laughed. 

“He’s a fucking bastard,” Ash added, his voice exhaling anger. He despised this man with his entire being. That night, the girl had cried for 20 minutes straight and was still shaking well after Arthur and his bleeding nose had run away. Thank God Ash had come out of the club at the right time. He did know Arthur was a ballet dancer - when Onion Head tried to hit on him, he had insisted about his “flexibility” both on the dancefloor and elsewhere… _How disgusting._ But never would Ash have thought that this scumbag could be in Eiji’s class.

“Well he sounds like a damn jerk,” Sing resumed. “Yue told me he would always mess with other dancers, especially with Eiji and him. They both hate his guts.” 

Ash could feel his blood boil. 

Arthur deprived him of his battle against Mystery Boy. Against _Eiji_.

Hell, the Japanese boy wouldn’t even be able to dance for some time.

Oh, Ash would _not_ let this slip.   
  


*** * *  
  
**

After dwelling the rest of the weekend, Ash decided to go and check on Mystery Boy - no, _Eiji_ \- after the Monday classes. Leaving the NYU at 4pm, he took the subway and sat on a bench facing the SAB, waiting for the last classes to end. He had no idea if Eiji would be there. He had no idea if the Japanese boy had any class on Monday afternoon, to begin with. Well, he would just take the chance and see. 

_Anything she need, she can call me  
_ _Don't worry 'bout her, that's my seed, yup, that's all me  
_ _Just know, if you cross her, then you cross me_

Ash’s fingers were tapping the song’s rhythm against the wood of the bench. He tried to focus on the music, blasting it in his earphones, hoping to drown the sound of his own beating heart. What would Eiji say when he’d see him? Would he find it weird, for Ash to be here? 

_Oh no, was he about to look like a stalker again?_

One hour later, there was still no Mystery Boy in sight. Ash didn’t even see Yue. Maybe they didn’t have any class today. 

As Ash finally stood up, the chorus of the song was still on his mind - _“if you cross her then you cross me, cross me, cross me”_. Putting his hands in his pockets, he started walking in front of the SAB entry stairs and passed the building before noticing a tall man coming out of one of the school’s backstreet.

 _Arthur_.  
This damn fucker. 

Ash didn’t even think twice and started following the blond man, who was walking further down the dark alley. This had an air of _déjà-vu_. Onion Head suddenly slowed down, rummaging through his bag. 

The mere sight of him had awakened Ash’s wrath. Silently, he approached him and out of nowhere, slammed him hard into the brick wall of the street. The bag flew away, its content scattering on the pavement.

“What the…” Onion Head’s sentence ended up in a choke, his throat crushed by Ash’s forearm.

"I know what you did, you scumbag!" Ash hissed. 

Despite the difficult situation he was in, Arthur managed to crack a sardonic smile as he recognized Ash. This made the crew leader even angrier. Onion Head let out a choked laughter. 

“And what did I do?” he croaked, smug smile tugging at his lips. 

Ash’s forearm applied more pressure on the fucker’s throat, causing him to cough, his face slowly getting whiter. 

"If anything happens to Eiji again, you won’t be able to stand on your legs for much longer, I’m warning you," Ash was literally growling. 

After a few seconds, he decided that Arthur’s face was white enough for him to be dizzy and started to slowly release the pressure on the other guy’s throat. Once he had let him go, Ash kicked him in the stomach with his knee, just to support his claim one last time. Then, he took a few steps back, disgusted at the view of Onion Head doubled over in pain, coughing and spitting saliva. 

Ash started to walk away, hands in his pockets again, as if nothing had happened. Yet, he could feel a fire burning deep inside his body. In another life, Ash Lynx must have been a real badass, he was sure of it. As he reached the main street again, he was stopped in his tracks by a crazy, malicious laugh. 

“I knew your disgusting ass had a thing for girls AND boys but still, Ash… This little Japanese boy? I thought you had higher standards!” 

Deep down, Ash knew that if he had had a gun, he would surely have turned around and put a bullet straight through Arthur’s damn head. But he wasn’t like that. He was a street dancer, not a street fighter. And Onion Head had already had it. 

Still, this asshole better not cross his path again. 

Ash took a deep breath in and put on his earphones again before walking away. 

_Anything she need, she can call me_  
_Don't worry 'bout her, that's my seed, yup, that's all me  
Just know, if you cross her, then you cross me._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A tiny bit of drama never hurt anyone, right? :3  
> (Claudia, I don't even have words anymore. <3)


	4. Looking At You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ash literally chases after Eiji, but pretends he doesn't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today’s song is [Harrison Brome - Looking At You](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQwTUTDYuuU) \- you’ll understand why soon enough!! Also, for the sake of this fic staging and drama, I didn't perfectly respect the way the SAB is actually built nor its system - so just in case, to any SAB student: please pardon me, your school works hard but my imagination just wanted to work harder…

When Ash returned home, Shorter noticed right away that something was off.

“What happened?” he simply asked. Ash shrugged before taking off his jean jacket. 

“I _may have_ run into Arthur,” the blond replied innocently.

“Oh.” Shorter paused, before the realisation hit him. “Ohhhh! I’m wondering what you _MIGHT HAVE DONE_ after running into him!” he smiled, the satisfaction in his tone palpable. 

Ash sighed and collapsed on the couch next to his best friend. 

“Well, I _may_ have… pressured him into leaving Eiji alone. Just a little.” Ash turned towards Shorter and shot him his brightest smile, which caused his roommate to burst out laughing

“I’m glad, I’m glad! But… Did you see Mystery Boy?” Shorter asked, his face serious again.

Ash shook his head. “Nope, he was nowhere in sight. His snake friend, Yue-something, wasn’t there either. Maybe they didn’t have class today, don’t know.”

Shorter hummed thoughtfully before going silent. He ran his hand in his purple mohawk and turned to Ash. “What are you planning to do, then?”

Ash had no idea, but one thing was certain: he would definitely _not_ ask Sing to ask Yue for Eiji’s number. First of all, they weren’t in highschool anymore. Second, the Japanese student was already taking him for a stalker. Better to not pop up out of fucking nowhere in his texts. What would he even say?! “Hi Eiji, guess what? I found out your name hehe and I also asked for your number because I’m a creepy white boy”? _No way in hell._

Not to mention that asking _TWO_ different people in order to get that boy’s number would look _so_ desperate - and Ash Lynx wasn’t the desperate type of guy. He was curious to know how Eiji was doing, all right. But his ego was still stronger than his curiosity. Well, a teeny tiny bit stronger, that is. 

In the end, Ash made up his mind.

He would wait for Eiji every day after school - for days if he needed to.  
  


*** * ***

On Tuesday night, no one. 

On Wednesday afternoon, Ash skipped his last class to get to the SAB earlier. Just in case. 

Still no Eiji in sight, though. 

On Thursday, Ash started to feel a little desperate and was going through the worst guilt trip ever about missing class. Believe it or not: Ash Lynx had never skipped a class before. Plus, it had been raining the day before, and now, he kept on sneezing and sniffling like a sick child.

It was past 6:30pm when he decided to get up from the cursed bench, giving up for today. Frustrated, he started walking so fast that he almost missed Yue, who was making his way down the entry stairs of the SAB. 

“Hey! Hey, Yue right? Hi, is Eiji okay?” Ash called him while climbing the stairs two steps at a time.

Yue looked up from his phone, not seeming the slightest surprised at seeing Ash - almost as if he were _expecting_ him to be here.

“Oh. Hi.” Yut-Lung appeared to be slightly amused by Ash’s desperation. The ghost of a smile tugging on the corners of his lips gave him away. “Just so you know, the security guys from our school are close to calling the cops on you. I mean, if _you_ are the ‘tall blond boy who’s been hovering around the school all week long,’ of course.” 

Ash could feel the blood draining from his face. He really was starting to turn into a stalker.

“Look, I'm really sorry for bothering you, okay?” He started, cautious to choose the right words. “I heard about what happened to Eiji and I just wanted to make sure he’s alright.”

“And why would you come all this way to do that?” 

_Yeah_ , Ash thought. _Why?_

“I know Arthur. He’s an asshole. I don’t like the guy and I don’t want him bothering anyone. So I just wanted to check on Eiji. I’d like to speak with him myself, I mean.” 

_Lame_. At least he tried his best. And he told the truth, more or less.

“You should leave Arthur alone, this piece of trash isn’t worth it.” Yue sighed, eyes flitting back towards his phone.

“Well...” Ash scratched his neck and fell silent for a moment. “I may have already talked to him.”

Yue’s eyes widened.

“Are you serious right now?” He paused, then something seemed to click in his head. “That explains why he was such a bitch this week. I mean, more than usual.” 

“Do you know… if I could see Eiji?” Ash ventured.

Yue sighed. He looked a bit annoyed - well, he seemed to look annoyed 24/7 actually, so let’s rather say that he looked _more_ annoyed than usual.

“Listen, Prince Charming, Eiji doesn’t wan…” Yue stopped in the middle of his sentence, looking even more annoyed, if that even was possible. He sighed. “Eiji isn’t there. He’s not coming to practice because of his injury. He’s not around much, and that’s all I can tell you. Now, if you don’t mind, I have an appointment and you’re making me late.” 

Without further ado, the Snake dancer flipped his hair over his shoulder and rushed downstairs before hopping in - and Ash _choked_ \- a huge, black and shiny limo.

_What a strange guy._

A few people here and there were still coming out of the SAB. Ash put his hands in his pockets and was about to go home, when something suddenly stopped him in his tracks. He looked up at the gigantic door frame. A strange feeling was invading him. 

“Fuck it,” he mumbled between his teeth and climbed up the stairs. As a young girl was coming out, he held the door and slipped into the hall. 

The building was almost empty, the steps of the few people left echoing in the vast hall. Everything looked shiny and bright - the NYU clearly wasn’t _that_ fancy. Ash wandered around a bit, climbing up stairs, walking down some corridors. He entered the aisle of what seemed to be the practice rooms, but decided to backtrack when he realized the whole thing was dark and empty.

Well, almost entirely dark and empty. Just before going back, Ash noticed the faint light coming out of the very last room at the end of the long corridor. Straining his ears, he heard a piano playing. 

His feet started moving on their own as he approached the practice room, compelled by the light and the music coming out of it. Just like the other rooms he walked before, the door and the walls were made of glass - the same weird glass as the one in those thriller movies, where you can see from the outside, but the person inside cannot see you. _What a strange concept to use outside interrogation rooms, really..._ Ash didn’t want to take a look and risk violating what felt like an intimate and personal moment happening in this practicing room. 

He was close to going back to the hall.

Very, very close.

But the exact same urge that made him enter the SAB and walk up to this room, suddenly made him take a step further and glance inside. 

In there, Eiji was dancing.

Surrounded by mirrors, there were no less than dozens of Eijis stretching, jumping, flying. 

Ash’s breath caught in his throat. Observing the other dancer, he moved along the glass walls. Once again, the boy’s graceful and powerful moves captivated him. He couldn’t stop staring. He leaned forward slightly, without realizing it, and ended up pushing the door, which cracked open with a loud creak. 

At that sound, Eiji startled, which caused him to miss his jump and fall back on the floor. Ash kicked the door open and rushed to him. 

“Fuck! Eiji I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you!” he ran to the Japanese boy who had been laying on the ground and was now looking at him, completely flabbergasted, up on one elbow. 

“A-... Ash? What are you doing here?” he asked, sitting and scrubbing his back while Ash crouched next to him. 

Ash swallowed, his heart feeling as though it were beating in his throat.“Well…uhm…” he started, hesitant. “Believe it or not, but I was kinda worried about you.”

_Now that I’m here, I might as well spit it out._

“But… Hey! Wait a minute! How do you even know my name?! You cheated! You were supposed to wait for our battle to know about it!” the Japanese boy pouted, his cheeks puffy and tinged pink at Ash using his real name.

“Yeah, but a certain someone didn’t show up last Saturday, so I had to improvise!” Ash chuckled, but Eiji suddenly became sullen upon hearing this.

“I’m so sorry,” the dark-haired boy whispered in a very solemn way. 

“Wh… what?” Ash stuttered, starting immediately to panic as his mind was racing. Eiji’s forlorn expression caused Ash’s heart to hammer even more painfully against his ribs. “Why are you apologizing, what happened?” 

Eiji’s cheeks reddened, and he suddenly looked more embarrassed than demoralized. “Well, I stood you up last Saturday…after challenging you, on top of that! I’m so embarrassed! I would have come, really, but Yue threatened to poison my tea, and...you don’t know him, he can be so ruthless! I just wasn’t going to risk it!” He fell silent again, looking down to his feet, before mumbling “Yue saw you the other day. And I avoided you on purpose. I just felt too ashamed to face you. Oh God, I’m so stupid!” the Japanese boy added with a bitter laugh. 

“You’re not stupid,” Ash answered before even thinking. “Look, Yue didn’t tell me anything. I just got curious and decided to come in, that’s all… And then I heard the music and… Here I am.” 

_This sounded way better in my head._

A mischievous look suddenly ignited Eiji’s dark and shiny eyes. “You’re admitting that you’re ACTUALLY stalking me, then!” he grinned.

“I am not!” Ash snapped, pouting.

He was.   
He definitely was.  
_Quick, change the subject._

“What are you doing here anyway? I thought your friend said you were off the dancefloor for some time.” Ash asked, running a hand through his hair, intent on masking his nerves.

“Ahhhh, yes…” Eiji scratched his neck, ashamed. “Well, Yue doesn’t know I’m practicing, he thinks I’m at the school library helping other students with their homework.” 

The Japanese boy’s face suddenly turned all serious once again, and he frowned before murmuring “I don’t have a choice anyway.”

“What do you mean?” Ash asked, before realizing he might be pushing a bit too much. “Sorry, you don’t have to tell me anything, I just…”

“It’s okay,” Eiji smiled. He took a deep breath. “I have a competition coming soon, and my scholarship kinda depends on it. If I don’t get good results, I’ll have to go back to Japan before the end of the semester.”

“Oh. I see.”

The two boys fell silent. One worried, sitting on the floor, still rubbing his back absentmindedly. Ash crouched next to him, wondering what to say to lift the other boy’s spirit.

“When is your competition?”

“Next Friday,” Eiji replied, sighing so deeply that just talking about his predicament seemed to hurt him physically. “I’m praying to all the gods I can think of, but I doubt this one will be fully recovered within the next week” he winced, pointing at his right shoulder.

“Does it hurt?” Ash whispered.

“No, not really. It doesn’t bother me. But I cannot do most of my usual moves, so… It’s mostly just annoying.” 

At this very moment, Ash was happy to have plunged his knee into Arthur’s stomach the other day.

“I have to revise all my choreography, to avoid moves that could hurt me even more,” Eiji went on. “I’m usually resourceful, but dancing with a shoulder down? I’d never tried that before!” he giggled. 

How could this boy remain so positive, warm and cheerful even in these hard times? Ash was torn between finding it strange or fascinating. A silence settled between the two, but it wasn’t awkward. It felt natural. 

“Well,” Ash said after a moment, clearing his throat. “I’d better let you get back to it, then…” he added in a whisper.

Eiji looked at him intensely before nodding slowly. Ash got up and cracked a shy smile before turning his heels. His knees felt a bit weak from the other boy’s gaze. 

He was reaching the doorstep when suddenly, Eiji called him.

“Hey, Ash.”

Ash turned to face him. The Japanese boy was blushing a bit. He looked like a painting, sitting there in his tight leggings and tank top, slightly reddened cheeks as he pushed a lock of hair behind his ear.

“Thank you. For checking on me, I mean! I…I really appreciate it,” he declared with a shy smile. His eyes, however, were more talkative and were literally radiating with brightness. 

Ash felt his own face getting hotter.   
_WHY CAN’T I KEEP MY DAMN COMPOSURE?!  
_He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it, finally settling on a simple nod. He waved at the other dancer, who returned the gesture with a grin.

Opening the door, Ash took a step forward. But something unnameable stopped him from leaving the practice room.

“Would it help if I showed you some moves?” 

For the first time in his 21 years of existence, Ash’s tongue had been faster than his brain. But he was surprisingly thankful for it.

“Wh… what?”

Ash turned around again to face Eiji, who had stood up and looked confused.

“Well, maybe I can show you some moves to add to your choreography? Moves that could spare your shoulder, y’know?”

Eiji seemed to hesitate a bit, shifting his balance from one foot to the other, before stuttering “But…you... are you sure you’ve got the time? I really don’t want to be a bother…” 

Ash smiled. “You’re not. Don’t worry. I wouldn’t offer you my help if I didn’t want to.”

After a few seconds, the answer seemed to satisfy Eiji enough, and he granted Ash a thankful and sunny smile. His face lit up as he seemed to remember something. 

“Wait, before we start, do you have anything to drink?” 

“I wasn’t really planning to practice tonight, so...” Ash giggled. It was true. This day kept getting more interesting by every hour. 

“Let me go to the hall and buy something!” Eiji exclaimed, rummaging through his bag. “Do you want anything special?” he asked Ash.

“Water is fine,” Ash simply replied, because Eiji’s eyes staring at him were preventing his brain from thinking further on the matter. 

“Water it is, then!” the Japanese boy was already rushing to the corridor and before disappearing, he added “You can put some music on the Bluetooth speaker over there! If you need to do some warm ups or anything!” 

Ash nodded, and the other boy left the room. _Oh god. Now I have to be up to the mark._

Ash went to the Bluetooth speaker, connected his phone and launched his playlist on shuffle mode. _Looking at You_ by Harrison Brome started playing. He did some warm-ups, absentmindedly. When Eiji got back with the two bottles in his hands, the song was reaching its end. 

“I like this, it sounds really cool! Could we practice on it?” Eiji asked enthusiastically. 

“Well, why not? I mean yeah, if you feel like it, it’s fine by me,” Ash commented, surprised. “But don’t you want something more… classical?”

“Oh no, quite the contrary!” Eiji laughed as he put the two bottles on the floor against a mirror. “The competition I’m participating in is a bit… weird. It’s supposed to be a one minute freestyle, but you don’t know what music you’ll get - it’s up to the jury. Rock, pop, electro, classical… it really can be anything. They’re testing our abilities to adapt and make the most out of any song.” Eiji fell silent, suddenly thoughtful. “I just hope that I won’t end up with country music. I saw it happen once and I may be resourceful but…I don’t think I could manage country…” 

Ash laughed heartily. He was the first one to understand what Eiji was trying to say by that; country music was on a whole other level. 

“Is that why you’ve been doing dance battles?”

“Exactly!” Eiji flashed Ash his brightest smile. For a second, Ash wondered if he had turned blind. He blinked several times as the other boy went on. “It’s good practice - it’s even harder than the competition itself.”

“How so?” Ash asked, curious, while sitting down next to the Bluetooth speaker.

“Well, even if it’s called a freestyle, everyone knows that the dancers are learning the choreography beforehand. I mean, you cannot risk not being inspired by the tune during such an exam… So it’s better to have some choreography ready. This way, your body already knows all the moves! Your brain just has to adapt them to the song. It comes pretty naturally when you know the choreo by heart.”

Ash whistled to signify that he was impressed. And he was, really, but he was also unable to form any correct sentence at the moment. As Eiji’s explanation went on, his Japanese accent had started showing more and more. He was perfectly understandable though; it’s just that Ash couldn’t help but get distracted by the sweetness of the sound. When Eiji was talking, his accent made him sound like he was singing. Ash thought to himself that he wouldn’t mind listening to Eiji explain dance competition rules to him for hours.

“Anyway, can you start the music again?” the other boy’s voice broke Ash’s train of thoughts. The blond dancer nodded before playing the song once more. He set it on repeat and used this moment to lace up his shoes.

He would be lying if he didn’t admit that he also used this moment to look more closely at Eiji, who was setting off on the music. Ash noticed immediately that the boy was regularly wincing and that his moves were becoming more hesitant with every passing second. 

“Maybe you could go down on 5, 6?” Ash interrupted him, speaking above the music, and Eiji stopped to look at him getting up. “And then, instead of your current move, you can add this movement on 7 and 8?” Ash demonstrated, moving next to Eiji so show him again. Eiji repeated the move.

“Like that?” he asked.

“Mmm yeah, close. You just have to be more relaxed,” Ash advised, positioning himself behind the Japanese boy. He put his hands on the other dancer’s shoulders. “You have to slacken your shoulders a bit when you turn, that way your move will have more amplitude and it will give a better effect.” 

Eiji tried again, and Ash accompanied his movement, applying a slight pressure on his shoulders while he was moving. “Here, relax”. 

Eiji followed his instructions and Ash rejoiced, “Yeah, that was already better!”

Since Eiji’s back was turned to him, Ash looked up in the mirror to see his face. He flushed when he realized he was still touching the boy’s shoulders - and that the latter was looking at him a bit curiously.

“You know, you seemed quite difficult to deal with at the battle. But you’re actually very nice. And a good teacher, on top of that!”

 _Oh boy._ Ash’s silent wish to disappear was growing stronger as he felt his cheeks getting redder.

“Well, thanks… I guess?”

“Oh, sorry! It was meant as a compliment, yes!” Eiji laughed and the sound made Ash relax. Eiji was just being completely sincere.

“Thanks, Eiji.” 

During the following hour, Ash buckled down to suggest new moves every time he caught Eiji wincing in the mirror. The Japanese boy was very talented - not only was he a fast learner, but he also managed to quickly appropriate Ash’s movements and made them fit perfectly his style and choreography. It was still obvious that those parts weren’t ballet, nor contemporary dancing - but at least Eiji’s shoulder was spared, and he could bet on the originality of it all to seduce the jury during the competition. 

More than once, Ash positioned himself behind Eiji, adjusting his posture, following his movements with his hands to help him find the right rhythm. The Japanese boy’s skin was soft and warm. Ash could feel the muscles tensing his arms. His tank top let his shoulders show - they were strong, defined. At some point, Eiji lost his balance a bit and leaned backwards to stabilize himself. His hair brushed against Ash’s nose, who was taking a deep breath in at the same time.

Eiji smelt like fresh flowers on a sunny spring morning. It sounded so lame. But Ash couldn’t think of anything else. 

“Why don’t you try the entire thing?” Ash suggested at some point, realising he’d been gazing into Eiji’s eyes for just slightly too long.

He sat next to the speaker again, back leaning against the mirror, and took a sip out of his water bottle. Eiji nodded with enthusiasm and gestured to him to play the song again. 

_I've been falling in love  
_ _And I didn't know it  
_ _I've hidden my emotion  
_ _I can't control it_

Eiji was already almost perfectly mastering the moves Ash showed him. With a bit of practice, the result would be amazing.

 _And I can't stop looking at you  
_ _You got that body, girl gimme a chance  
_ _I can't stop thinking about you  
_ _I've been working just to be your man_

Eiji’s choreography looked smooth, and he had managed to make it match the song even though he had heard it for the first time only an hour before. 

_Oh boy, I can’t stop looking at him all right,_ Ash thought. He wasn’t sure how he was feeling about this. As the music finally came to a stop, for the 34th time or so since they met in this practicing room, a huge growl suddenly echoed. 

“OH MY GOD!” Eiji exclaimed before hiding his face in his hands. Despite that, Ash could still see the tip of his ears getting so red that if they had started smoking soon after, Ash wouldn’t have been surprised. The blond boy laughed.

“Do you want to grab something to eat?” Ash asked, with an understanding smile. Eiji looked at him between his fingers. 

“Do _you_?” The Japanese boy replied, but his voice was clearly tainted with hope.

“Come on,” Ash said, getting up and turning the speaker off. “You practiced hard enough for today. Plus, I know just the perfect place to eat some good food!”

Eiji let out a thankful and relieved sigh, and his stomach growled again as is if to show his contentment. 

  
*** * ***

  
The bell of Chang Dai ringed when Ash opened the door. He let Eiji enter first before being greeted by a feminine voice.

“Hi Ash!” the woman said with a fond smile. 

“Hi, Nadia. How are you?”

“Everything’s fine around here, except for your best friend being annoying as hell, as usual,” she replied, rolling her eyes. “I see you brought a friend!”

“Yeah, Nadia this is Eiji, we met at a dance battle almost…three weeks ago now?” Ash turned to Eiji, who nodded in approbation before slightly bowing to Nadia.

“It is really nice to meet you!” Eiji exclaimed.

“Shorter is over here,” Nadia declared after smiling warmly to the Japanese boy.

“Shorter?” Eiji asked, and Ash understood suddenly why it might confuse the Japanese student - _Shorter_ wasn’t really what you could call a common name. 

“Yeah, you actually kinda met Shorter already, he is-” a loud voice interrupted Ash’s explanation.

“The best friend, the best roommate and the best bro ever, amongst some other amazing things!” Shorter beamed as he jumped on Ash, messing with his hair, and winked at Eiji, who blushed at this sensational entrance. Ash was annoyed by Shorter’s attitude, but it suddenly only got worse. “So you’re the famous Eiji?! My, my! Thank you for hanging out with my poor friend, his pining ass was starting to get really annoying!”

“Shorter, I swear to God…...…” Ash growled with a threatening look in his eyes. 

Eiji was looking at the both of them as though he were a lost puppy, when suddenly a rumbling reminded them why they had come to Chang Dai in the first place. 

“Could we get a table, please?” Ash asked his best friend with a meaningful look. 

“Of couuuurse, one table for two!” Shorter cooed and Ash rolled his eyes - clearly, his meaningful look had not been meaningful enough. 

  
*** * ***

  
Eiji ate with relish while telling Ash a bit about his life in Japan. Ash learned that the boy had come to New York in January, so less than 4 months before, after getting into a special program in the SAB. Eiji already went to several dance schools in Japan, but he wanted to add an experience abroad to his already quite busy curriculum. Ash also discovered with astonishment that Mystery Boy was actually 23, that is two years older than him, even though he looked way younger. 

“That’s because you’re small”, Ash had teased him.

“I am not! _You_ are the problem - you are a _tower_!” 

Eiji was hoping to get into the cast of a show-ballet here in the United States. On Broadway, if possible. Over the course of their dinner, Eiji naturally let slip a few expressions in Japanese, and then endeavoured to find the right words to form some flawed English sentences. This might have been the cutest thing Ash had ever seen in his short span of life. 

It was past 11pm when they finished their dinner, and Eiji insisted to pay - _“Please don’t refuse, I’d be offended! Plus, I wanna thank you for today,”_ \- who was Ash to resist such a sweet and genuine request? 

Before they parted ways in front of the Wong’s restaurant, Eiji thanked Ash again. 

“You really saved my life today,” he declared, flushing. 

“Now, that might be a little exaggerated!” Ash teased, but he could feel the blood running to his cheeks after this compliment.

“Well, you saved my shoulder, then?” Eiji ventured.

“That sounds more like it,” Ash replied with a grin.

They both giggled before an awkward silent settled. Eiji looked at his feet, then away, and Ash wondered what he could say to cut off this silence - but he had never been good at talking, and it was even worse with someone like Eiji around.

“Do you… Do you have plans tomorrow?” Eiji finally asked shyly.

Ash looked up and melted when he saw that the Japanese boy was not slightly flustered but completely red, this time.

“To practice again, I mean!!” he exclaimed again quickly, to clarify. 

Usually, the Banana Fish crew was practicing on Saturday.  
Whatever, they could do without Ash this weekend - it wasn’t like they had a huge battle planned or anything anyway. 

“I’m all yours,” Ash answered, smiling, until he realized what he had just said. 

_You fucking damn stupid dumbass dork…_

“Great!” Eiji was beaming, not flustered at all anymore, as if Ash’s answer had given him some strength and courage. “Would it be okay if we exchange our numbers? That way we can decide on a place and hour!”

“Fine by me,” Ash smiled. 

They exchanged numbers and Eiji finally left, waving at Ash before disappearing in the dark. 

Ash let out a huge sigh, not realizing yet what had happened. On the way back home, he regretted not accompanying Eiji at least to the subway station. It was late, pitch dark, and Chinatown could be a bit dangerous sometimes - especially for someone looking so young and innocent as Eiji. 

When he got back to the apartment, Ash showered quickly before slipping into his bed. It was almost 12:30am. No longer able to hold back, he took his phone and started typing before he could change his mind. 

**Ash, 12:28 -** _Hi Eiji, it’s Ash.  
_ _Sorry for bothering you, just wanted to check if you got home okay._

 **Eiji, 12:29** **_-_ ** _Hello there!!_ _＼(＾▽＾)／  
I _ _’m all good, thank you for checking on me - again!!  
_ _Careful, you don’t want me to get used to it…  
_ _See you tomorrow_ _(⌒‿⌒)_

Ash couldn’t help but smile at those funny emojis.  
They looked cheerful. And cute.  
_Just like Eiji._

He mentally mumbled to himself that he was pathetic, before falling asleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boy, that was long, I totally got carried away...  
> Hope you liked it <3  
> Claudia : I LOVE YOU!!!!


	5. Hello, is it me you're looking for?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And that was settled. The fate of Eiji’s scholarship would be decided on Friday, 4:30pm at the Engelman Recital Hall.  
> And the Banana Fish crew would have to qualify for their casting on Friday, 5pm, at the Lehman Center. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Sorry I keep posting later and later haha! Today’s song is a cover that I personally love very much, and I just had to use it for this chapter. Hope you’ll enjoy ! [Here's the link <3](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjTEb5RvIF0)

  
“Hello? Is anyone there? Earth to Ash, Earth to Ash! ASLAN, DO YOU COPY?”

Ash startled at Max’s loud question and pried his eyes off his phone screen. It was rare for him to get called by his full name. 

“Fucking finally!” Max said when he saw the blonde boy looking at him. Both of his hands were turned towards the sky, as if the older man were silently thanking God. 

Ash rolled his eyes at Max’s exasperation. “What’s going on?”

“ _What’s going on?!_ ” Jessica squeaked. “We’re the ones who should ask you this, Ash! Where are you manners, you damn brat!” 

“My manners?” Ash frowned, causing Max to let out a long sigh before pinching the bridge of his nose. 

“You really have no idea, do you, Ash?” 

Ash was starting to get really tired of these Sunday lunches. He either ended up being scolded or interrogated. Neither option was particularly pleasant, and trying to work out what turn _this_ lunch would take was exhausting him.

“Ash,” Max started, his tone measured. “You’ve been looking at your phone _non-stop_ since you arrived. Is it glued to your hand or something? Are you expecting news from someone?” 

Oh. 

_Oh._

“The worst part,” Jessica added, “is that you look so _smitten_ it’s almost nauseating... Even when you _actually_ look away, I can almost hear fond sighs escaping your mouth!”

_Well, fuck._

He had been thinking about Eiji a lot since the previous day. The both of them had finally settled on meeting on Saturday afternoon to practice, and had grabbed coffee together just after. But Ash had to cut his time with Eiji short to meet the boys. To his annoyance, it turned out that the Banana Fish crew couldn’t actually do without him on _this_ particular Saturday, since they needed to get ready for a casting they were participating in soon. 

Ash had totally forgotten about it, much to his and his crew’s surprise. Needless to say, his friends were a little irritated. When he finally joined them, Sing greeted him with a sarcastic _“No thoughts, head empty - except for Eiji!”_ to which Ash had only responded with a groan. The choreography they were working on was a whole new level of difficulty, and they practiced for hours. 

When Shorter and Ash finally got home, it was late at night and Ash felt completely drained. He might be in his early twenties, but two practices in a row were still a lot to take in. Ash was so exhausted that he crashed without even texting Eiji to say sorry for leaving early again. He knew he was being selfish, but Ash was still annoyed that Alex had cut their time together short by interrupting their ‘moment’ with his phone call.

Ash only realized that he forgot to text Eiji when he woke up in the morning, and he was already late as hell for his lunch at Max’s. In the end, he had only been able to text some quick apology to Eiji when he got to the Glenreed’s house. To Ash’s surprise, Eiji replied almost right away, saying it was really no big deal, that he was already so grateful for his help and everything. The text was _exuding_ kindness and it just… threw Ash off. 

So yeah, maybe he _had_ been staring at this text from time to time during his lunch with the Glenreeds. 

Just _maybe_. 

*** * ***

Laying in bed that Sunday night, Ash read Eiji’s text for the 78th time and realized two things. First, Eiji certainly wouldn’t need Ash to help him practice anymore - the Japanese boy was talented enough and had mastered his choreography already. The previous day, Ash had even been wondering if Eiji had practiced all night, because the moves he had shown him the night before were already perfectly included into his choreography. Ash wasn’t of great use, except for correcting his posture from time to time, or adjusting his rhythm - but it was all details. 

The second realization Ash came to was that Eiji’s text sounded indeed like their practicing sessions were over - thanking him for his help so far, that he already did a lot… Ash couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed at that thought. The other boy intrigued him a lot, but Eiji’s very presence made Ash feel lighter somehow. 

Ash started typing a few words before deleting them. He bit his lip and typed again. He frowned, shook his head, and deleted the text. Hearing some ominous music coming from the living room, he sighed and decided to get up rather than texting some bullshit to the first person in years to catch his attention. 

Opening the door of his room, he heard Shorter fumbling through popcorn as he watched yet another episode of one of his favorite true crime programs. 

“Who’s the murderer this time?” Ash asked, sitting next to his best friend and dumping his phone on the coffee table. 

“Your white ass,” Shorter answered, not missing a beat before stuffing down another handful of popcorn into his mouth. 

“Hilarious,” Ash grumbled before going to the kitchen. Opening the fridge, he took a coke and asked his roommate if he wanted anything, even though he already knew the answer to that. Ash was uncapping a beer for Shorter when his phone chimed in synch with the cap flying off. Before he could even move, a teasing giggle was heard, and it didn’t come from the TV. 

“Eiji texted yoooouuuuuuu…” Shorter sang. Ash felt his stomach lurch. “He says that…”

“Do NOT read my texts, Shorter!”

“He says that he wants to ask you…”

“SHORTER WONG!!!” Abandoning the two drinks on the counter, Ash marched to the living room, but Shorter was closer to the forbidden object - he grabbed Ash’s phone and climbed on top of the couch, out of Ash’s reach, reading out loud.

“... if you could practice again…” 

The end of Shorter’s sentence was cut off as Ash tackled him, making his roommate lose his balance and fall down from the top of the sofa.

“HEEeeEEEeey this is dangerous! 911, help! This man wants me dead!”

“Give me my phone back you damned pineapple head! How did you even manage to unlock it?!” Ash could feel his blood pressure rising to new and dangerous heights. 

“Your smart ass is so predictable,” Shorter sighed dramatically. “It’s 1 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 5!”

Ash’s jaw dropped. “How do you know about the Fibonacci sequence?”

“Because I actually listen to your ranting sometimes - but only _sometimes_! Just enough to get the information I need,” Shorter added mischievously. 

_That fucker._ Going back to the kitchen, Ash grabbed his coke and checked Eiji’s text.   
  


**Eiji, 10:47 -** _Hey again Ash! Sorry for texting you so late!  
_ _Listen, I wanted to ask you earlier… Could we practice again this week?  
_ _On Wednesday afternoon maybe? I mean, if you don’t have anything planned yet.  
_ _And if you want to, of course!! Don’t feel obligated or anything it’s just a suggestion it doesn’t HAVE to happen like just… well.  
Anyway. Let me know (＾▽＾) Good night!  
  
_

“You are beaming at your phone. It’s really embarrassing.” 

Ash looked up from his screen and glared at Shorter, resisting the sudden urge to splash the rest of his coke in his best friend’s purple hair. He went back to his room, stamping his feet like an angry child, and made sure to slam the door _really_ loudly - to which Shorter only giggled.   
  


**Ash, 10:49 -** _Hi, Eiji. Wednesday is fine by me. Looking forward to it :-)  
  
_

Was his answer too cold? Or did the “looking forward to it” sound already too much? Oh god, Ash wasn’t good at this, not at all. Hiding his face in a pillow, he let out a muffled scream of frustration and wondered once again what the _hell_ was wrong with him. 

*** * ***

“I have to admit, I’m starting to get stressed,” Eiji laughed, embarrassed.

“But, why?!” Ash asked, genuinely surprised. Mystery Boy, getting stressed? With _his_ talent? 

“Well, I don’t know… I’ve always been like that… The only times I am not stressed is when the audience is _really_ limited, or when I’m dancing around people I’m comfortable with,” Eiji explained. 

“Mh… Does this mean that you’re comfortable with me?” Ash asked, grinning. Eiji’s face turned red and he started mumbling. 

“Oh… Well… I guess so, I mean…” 

“I’m kidding!” Ash laughed to appease the other boy, but he felt warmth pool in his stomach upon seeing Eiji’s reaction. “I’m sure you’re gonna do great. You’re very talented, believe in yourself!” 

Ash couldn’t believe he was actually giving a pep talk right now - _him_ , amongst all human beings, the man who doubted himself 24/7 but always pretended he had his shit together. 

“I’m the older one here, I’m the one supposed to reassure you!” Eiji pouted. 

“Well if you want to, you can! The crew and I actually have some big things coming, too…”

Eiji looked at him and raised his eyebrows, silently encouraging Ash to explain further. They were sitting down, backs leaned against the mirrors of the SAB practicing room. 

“The Banana Fish crew is starting to make a name here in NYC, but we’d like to… go even further. The boys would like to make a living out of dancing. I’m not sure how I feel about it to be honest, but at the moment, let’s say the idea suits me.”

Ash turned his head to see Eiji’s face. The Japanese boy was carefully listening to him, knees to his chin. Ash’s heart missed a bit when his eyes met Eiji’s dark and bright gaze. He coughed awkwardly before resuming his story, praying to dissipate his flush with words.

“We’re trying to join a group of backup dancers for a very famous band. The casting is next week, but there’s an elimination round of some sort held on Friday. There are a lot of crews participating, so they first have to reduce our number before holding the official casting with the actual members of the band.” 

“Oh... “ Eiji looked weirdly disappointed. He had turned his head and was now looking down, chin resting on his arm. “How many of you are there?”

“How many crews, you mean? Well,” Ash started, stretching his arms, “last time I checked we were 119 registered crews. And after Friday, there will be only 5 left.”

“WHAT?!” Eiji croaked.

“Yup,” Ash laughed but both his body and brain had now switched to competitive mode. Talking about the casting made his blood boil. He wasn’t really worried, they had practiced last weekend and were practicing almost every day of the week. Their choreography was on point. 

“We basically have one and a half minutes to convince them to choose us. Every crew submits their own interpretation of a choreography on a song supplied by the group. Can you imagine? The casters are going to hear the same thing - and almost _watch_ the same thing - all Friday. I’d go crazy. That’s why I was so upset when I realized our time of passage was so late. They’re gonna be fed up by then.”

Eiji was silent. He hadn’t moved and was still looking at his feet. Ash realized that the other dancer may have not needed him to share all of this pressure, as he was himself competing on Friday. 

“I’m sorry,” Ash blurted, cursing himself for oversharing. “Let's go back to practicing, your scholarship is just as important!”

“No!” Eiji exclaimed before lowering his voice. “No I mean, it’s okay, I’m sure your crew is gonna do great. I’ve seen you during our battle and you seem to complete each other very well! I just thought…” 

The black-haired dancer stopped mid-sentence, his voice only a murmur. 

“What is it?” Ash asked softly to encourage the other boy to open up. 

“Nevermind, it’s stupid!” Eiji suddenly got up and laughed half-heartedly, running fingers through his dark hair. It was now a bit messy and entangled, and Ash tried to ignore the fact that the Japanese boy looked even cuter this way - if _that_ even was possible. 

“No, I’m sure it’s not!” Ash retorted, getting up too. 

“You don’t even know what I was about to say!”

“No matter what it is, I know it’s not stupid.”

“Well, it is!”

“Lies.”

“I’m telling you it is!”

“What about you spit it out so I can judge myself?” Ash asked, crossing his arm, his face serious. Eiji sighed.

“I just…”

“You just?”

“I would’ve liked you to be there on Friday. For my competition. You helped me train after all, so I wanted to ask you if… But nevermind, you have a lot on your plate too!”

“Oh.” Ash’s arms dropped because he wasn’t expecting this at all, and couldn’t keep pretending anything now. “When are you up?”

“At 4:30pm. Engelman Recital Hall. Another place where you could have stalked me!” Eiji was trying to lighten the mood after seeing Ash’s reaction, but it was obvious that his heart wasn’t in it. “What time do you guys perform?”

“5pm,” Ash replied right away, biting his lip. “In Lehman Center.” 

“That’s…”

“Uptown, yes.” 

Ash knew damn well how those kind of things were. There was little chance for Eiji to be called right on time. And traffic in NYC was a nightmare - especially on Fridays. The subway could be an option, except that it would take around 40 minutes to go from one point to the other. In other words... 

“That sounds a bit complicated!” Eiji laughed, and this time it sounded a little more genuine. “Forget what I said, okay? It’s no big deal! You have to focus on your crew and yourself, I’ll be fine!”

“I would've liked to see you, though…” Ash whispered before realizing it. 

Eiji blushed and granted him a sunny smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll ask Yue to record it!” 

And that was settled. The fate of Eiji’s scholarship would be decided on Friday, 4:30pm at the Engelman Recital Hall. And the Banana Fish crew would have to qualify for their casting on Friday, 5pm, at the Lehman Center. 

*** * *  
  
**

“No.” 

“Come on, it’s doable,” Shorter said. 

“To be honest, I don’t think it is,” Alex commented.

“NO, IT CLEARLY ISN’T!” Sing exclaimed.

“Yeah I think you made your opinion on the matter quite clear already,” Ash snapped at Sing. 

“Listen Ash, I’m sorry, usually I wouldn’t say anything but COME ON!” Sing groaned, his irritation twisting his face into a pout. “We worked so damn hard, and we can’t allow ourselves to be late on those qualifications round!” 

“I know that, okay?!” Ash yelled and everyone froze. He sighed, realizing he might have gone too far. “I’m sorry. I’m not mad at you. I just wanted to run the idea by you all, because… well… I don’t know.”

“Because it matters to you,” Bones stated simply. 

Ash looked at him and nodded slowly. Yeah, actually, it did. There was no point in denying it. Kong put a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. 

“It matters enough for you to tell us about it, even if you already know it’s rather impossible,” Alex added. 

Was today ‘ _stating the obvious’_ day? Ash decided not to comment further on the matter. He already knew he couldn’t make it, but something inside him made him ask anyway. The D-day was tomorrow, and Ash realized that the more Eiji texted him to ask if he wasn’t too anxious about the casting, the more it meant that Eiji was actually getting anxious _himself_. 

Ash did his best to pretend he didn't feel Shorter's eyes on him throughout the remainder of their rehearsal. He resisted the urge to yell at his roommate, only to save the rest of his team the angst of having two members argue - but Ash was seriously at his limit. As their practice drew to a close and the other members of the Banana Fish crew made their way home, Ash was left alone with Shorter in the small studio they rented from time to time.

"Ash-"

"Just drop it, okay?" Ash snapped, refusing to meet his friend’s eyes. He knew his request was stupid. He never should have voiced it in the first place. And he seriously didn’t want to talk about it anymore. 

"Easy cowboy! Listen to me." Shorter's voice was uncharacteristically calm, his cheerful demeanor morphed into one of absolute seriousness. "You should go and watch Eiji’s performance tomorrow."

_What?_

“It’s quite obvious that he’s special to you. And you cleary had something on your mind during the entire practice. I mean, it’s the first time I see you so concerned about someone other than _Michael_. This isn’t some stupid schoolyard crush,” Shorter continued, half smiling at the way Ash’s jaw hung open. “So just go, we’ll figure it out, okay man? Plus, if you going to see him means that you’ll be 100% focused on the dancefloor tomorrow night, I’m more than ready to compromise.”

Ash was utterly taken aback by Shorter’s offer in the face of a potential career-defining opportunity. He had been sure that Shorter was going to set him straight, tear him a new one, so to speak. But after all, nobody knew Ash better than Shorter did. And when it really came down to it, there was a reason why the spiky-haired idiot was his best friend. 

“But the boys-”

“Maaa, don’t worry about them! I’ll deal with the rest of the crew. You just go, okay? I’ll figure something, you know me I’m resourceful. Just be ready when Eiji’s performance is over.”

Ash fell silent and looked at his best friend. The wave of relief overflowing in him at that moment was almost overwhelming. “I’m sorry to give you such a hard time. But thanks, Shorter,” Ash sighed. “I don’t know what else to say.” 

“You're _always_ giving me a hard time… Guess that PornHub Premium subscription has really softened my heart,” Shorter grinned, mussing the purple spikes on his head. “But you owe me a few more months, yeah?”

“Deal.”

*** * ***

Ash was wondering how to sneak in a room probably already full of people, and in which auditions had been going all afternoon. Standing next to the entrance of the Engelman Recital Hall main auditorium, in which Eiji was meant to perform, he was trying to come up with a way to be discrete when movement on his left caught his eye. He turned and saw Eiji entering men’s toilets. Without thinking, he rushed and followed the boy. 

Entering the bathrooms, he saw Eiji first. The Japanese boy was running some water in his hands, and splashed his face with it. Then, he stared at his reflection in the mirror, knuckles white from grabbing the sink too strongly. Ash cautiously stepped forward, not wanting to frighten him. He walked slowly to Eiji and the other boy’s face lit up when he finally noticed Ash in the mirror. 

“Ash, you’re here!” He exclaimed, eyes alight with joy before the implications of Ash’s presence hit him.. “Wait, what are you doing, you need to get uptown by 5pm and it’s almost half past four already !”

“Don’t worry about me, I know what I’m doing,” Ash answered softly. Eiji’s jaw was tensed - pre-performance stress was getting to him. To be honest, Ash would have been stressed too, if his studies had depended on it. He resisted the urge to brush the Japanese boy’s jaw with the tip of his fingers, just to help him relax a bit. 

“You didn’t have to do this for me,” Eiji finally replied in a whisper. 

“I’m doing this for you as much as I’m doing it for me. I just wanted to see the results of our hard practicing sessions!” Ash teased Eiji, poking his arm. 

“Well in that case, I’ll be sure not to disappoint you, _sensei!_ ” Eiji teased back, sticking his tongue out.

“I know you won’t.” A loud sound interrupted them. 

“I have to go, it’s the jury’s 5-minutes-break, and then I’m in.”

“You got this!” Ash told him, suddenly running out of inspiration to make Eiji understand how much he had faith in him. He wanted to slap himself. But the dark-haired boy smiled at him and waved before leaving. At the same moment, attendees started filling the bathroom, enjoying the 5-minutes-break too. Perfect: that would allow Ash to sneak in discreetly. 

Making his way into the room, Ash found a seat in one of the front rows, just before the judges. The loud sound echoed again, as the audience returned to the auditorium. A moment of silence followed, the judges waiting for the public to settle down. “Okumura Eiji,” one of them finally called. 

Eiji walked in on the scene under the applause. His shoulders looked tensed and his steps a bit jerky. He had told Ash he was always stressed before performing in front of huge audiences, and those loud applause, even though meant to encourage him, also testified to the number of people sitting in the room. 

Eiji placed himself right in the middle of the stage and bowed to the judges. Ash shifted in his seat and as Eiji straightened out, he noticed Ash sitting just below the jury. When Ash was sure that the other boy was looking straight at him, he silently mouthed _“Dance for me”_ . Eiji’s face relaxed and he granted Ash a warm smile - alright, maybe this smile was meant for the public and judges, but Ash would rather say that it was meant for him, and him _only_.

The music finally started, with a piano slowly playing a quite melancholic tune. 

_Well, at least it ain’t country music_ , Ash thought to himself. He carefully observed Eiji taking the temperature of the music for a few seconds - it was a cover of _Hello_ , by Lionel Richie. Surely Eiji had already heard it before. Ash grabbed his armrests, heart pounding in his chest. _Come on, Eiji, you got this._ Suddenly, Eiji’s eyes closed just like during their first battle, and he took a deep breath before setting off. 

_I long to see the sunlight in your hair  
_ _And tell you time and time again how much I care  
_ _Sometimes I feel my heart will overflow  
_ _Hello?  
_ _I’ve just got to let you know_

Within the first 20 seconds, it was rather obvious that the judges were in awe. It was hard not to be, after all. This mix between ballet moves and breakdance ones was so smooth and subtle that they literally melted into the other.The first ones couldn’t exist without the latter. Some of Eiji’s moves were slightly clumsy, but only Ash, who had practiced with him for a whole week, could notice that. 

_Tell me how to win your heart_  
_For I haven’t got a clue_  
_But let me start by saying_  
_I love you_  
_Is it me you’re looking for?_

Ash realized he was digging his fingernails in the armrests. He felt like each single muscle of his body was tensed, but at the same time, the song combined with Eiji dancing was giving him chills. He shivered. It was the choreography they had practiced together, yes, but at the same time, it wasn’t. In mere seconds, Eiji had grasped the song and made the rhythm _his own_. He made the moves perfectly fluid, extending their length to match the piano’s melody better, fitting every climatic note. 

It was as if hesitation, unconditional love and longing were being shaped in front of the spectators’ eyes. When the music stopped and the public applauded, Ash literally had to restrain himself from getting up and screaming Eiji’s name, because he was feeling so proud at this very moment that he could have set the entire room on fire. He could hear his heart beating in his eardrums. The judges thanked Eiji for his performance and called the next one in line. This probably had been the most intense minute Ash had gone through in his entire life. 

He checked the time. 4:42pm. He apologized to the persons sitting in his row and rushed outside the auditorium. In the hall, he asked the receptionist where the backstreet door leading to the backstage lodges were. Running around the building, Ash made his way into the narrow backstreet, quickly seeing a door displaying the “STAFF ONLY” sign. Out of breath, he checked the time again. It was already 4:46. And it seemed like _days_ had passed when Eiji’s head finally popped out the door.

“Oh Ash, you’re here! I’m so sorry, I think I kind of ruined our choreo here and there but well, the jury did seem interested, didn’t they? Wait. _Wait_ , WHAT are you still doin …-”

The Japanese dancer had walked to him while talking and, suddenly driven by the way his heart was literally overflowing upon seeing the other boy, Ash gently took Eiji’s face between his hands, causing the dark-haired boy to stare wide-eyed at him. _Those eyes,_ Ash thought. He leaned closer to the other dancer, who was still staring at him through his long dark eyelashes. 

The last thread of Ash’s self control severed as he pressed his lips against Eiji’s. His kiss was soft, almost painfully tender, because Ash knew that if he let himself get carried away, he would probably never stop. Eiji gasped softly at the new sensation of Ash’s lips against his, but soon melted into the blond’s touch, softly kissing him back. 

Ash reluctantly broke their kiss, afraid to be pushing too much, and let his forehead rest against Eiji’s. 

“You were amazing, Eiji.” Ash whispered, his lips brushing against Eiji’s as he spoke. The Japanese dancer finally opened his eyes again and stared right back at Ash, his eyes darker than ever, _brighter_ than ever. Eiji slowly put his own hands above Ash’s, which were still cupping the boy’s cheeks. Intertwining their fingers, Eiji shyly grabbed Ash’s lips between his own again. Ash closed his eyes, his stomach burning at the mere thought that Eiji would want to kiss him again. He hadn’t really been thinking when he had kissed him. He just wanted to. He wanted to make him understand his pride, his admiration, his… 

“Hum, hum!” Shorter coughed out of nowhere. 

“Sorry to interrupt your… _moment_ ,” Yue’s disgust was plain on his face. 

“We have to get moving, chief! The casters are running a bit late and Sing is postponing the best he can, but he won’t be able to do it for much longer!” Shorter said, gesturing towards Yue’s phone while Eiji and Ash moved away from each other. 

_“We checked the traffic app and the roads look clear…”_ An unknown, sizzling voice echoed in the street. Ash realized that Yue’s phone was on speaker. It was an organizer speaking. Suddenly, Sing’s voice came out the phone too. 

_“Don't believe everything you read on the Internet, this area is in GRIDLOCKED TRAFFIC!!!_ _NOT TO MENTION THAT THEY COME FROM ANOTHER ROAD, NOT THE MAIN ONES_ _.... ANOTHER!!!”_

“Gimme your phone!” Shorter hissed at Ash, who had walked to him. Ash saw his best friend frantically typing “traffic noises” on Spotify before sticking Ash’s phone to Yue’s, for Sing & the organizers to hear.

"SEE?! I MEAN, HEAR?! TRAFFIC!" Shorter yelled into the phone. 

"The next 30 minutes are ad free!" The Spotify woman announced, and Ash wondered if he had landed in some shitshow or just been dreaming this entire day. 

_“FOR FUCK’S SAKE HURRY THE HELL UP,”_ Sing shouted, making Yue’s speaker crackle, _“I’M A DANCER NOT AN ACTOR SHORTER I’M FUCKING DYING OKAY? GET YOUR ASSES OVER HERE!!!!”_

“I can’t believe I gave my number to this guy, he’s such a drama queen,” Yue commented, clearly not impressed. Eiji glared at him. 

“Are you kidding me right now?”

Yue’s jaw dropped, clearly offended at the implication, but he first turned to Shorter. “WHY are you still here?! GO! Both of you! My driver is just there, we’ll be right behind you don’t mind us - just _GO_ so that tiny Chinese troll can stop yelling in my phone!!” 

On these words, Shorter grabbed Ash’s arms and started running out of the backstreet. Ash was feeling dizzy - he had no idea what was going on. Yes, Shorter _did_ say to let him handle it, but _this_ …

They ran straight to a black shiny limo that Ash could have recognized anywhere. Shorter opened the door and pushed Ash inside before jumping in after him. 

“FOLLOW THAT RED CAR!” he screamed at the driver. 

Looking in the rearview mirror, the driver raised one eyebrow. “Lehman Center, right?” he simply asked. 

“Hum, right,” Shorter answered. “Sorry, I’ve been wanting to do that all my life, I just couldn’t resist.” 

Ash wanted to die. But suddenly, something hit him - something _way_ worse. Something which could ruin everything. 

“Shorter.”

“Mh?”

“Shorter.”

“What, Ash?”

“SHORTER WHAT THE FUCK DID I DO?!” Ash started whining loudly, which scared Shorter so much that he lowered his sunglasses down his nose. 

“Uh?!”

“We met A MONTH AGO SHORTER! A month ago!!! And I’m already KISSING HIM WITHOUT ANY WARNING! After a MONTH! Oh boy he’s going to fly back to Japan even if he passes this audition, and he would be so RIGHT!” 

“Okay I can’t believe I have to say this but we really don’t have time for your gay panic to be acting up _now_ Ash, okay? So please shut the fuck up, come back to your damn senses and focus! We can’t have our leader lose his shit right now, right?!”

Right. _Right_ . Shorter was right. Ash was just hoping that him kissing Eiji out of nowhere would not cause the other boy to literally flee. He just hadn’t been able to help it. He _had_ to kiss him. After this performance, seeing him walking out of this door, and…

“I’M WATCHING YOU LYNX!!!” Shorter warned him.

 _RIGHT_. Focus. 

It was now 4:53pm, Yue’s driver was exceeding the speed limit way too much, the rest of the Banana Fish crew was already on site, one of the biggest opportunities _ever_ was right there at the door, and Ash Lynx realized he was head over heels for the Japanese dancer who had come into his life one month before.  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m currently working with @JadedLynx on a fanfic for the 2020 edition of BF Reverse Big Bang, and the works are due by the beginning of June.  
> This is one of the reasons why it took me so long to publish Chapter 5, and that’s also why the next chapter might not come before a while. I’m sorry for the wait, I’ll do my best, but this RBB work is really important to me! We're both very excited about it, so... Stay tuned!! And thanks for your understanding <3 Take care! xx
> 
> (Big thanks to Claudia who proofread this - AGAIN - and helped me figure out some details: as the song goes, let me start by saying I LOVE YOU!)


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